Entering this weekend’s Longs Peak League Championship girls swim meet at the Mountain View Aquatic Center, Liberty Common was the clear favorite to win the team title, and the Eagles lived up to those expectations, clearing the nine-team field by 62 points.
However, following Friday’s preliminaries, a clear battle for second place emerged between Mountain View and Wellington. Those teams indeed battled to the final relay for the runner-up spot Saturday.
The Mountain Lions took a lead over the Eagles into the 500-yard freestyle and briefly lost it following that event. They were able to regain it following the 200 freestyle relay and took a 22-point lead into the meet’s final event, the 400 freestyle relay.
In that race, despite WHS having two entries in two heats to Mountain View’s one, the Mountain Lions were able to hold off the Eagles and take second place.
Mountain View finished with 367 points, well behind Liberty Common’s 429. Wellington finished 14 points behind the Mountain Lions with 353. Thompson Valley was fifth with 236 and Berthoud was sixth with 137.
As the scores were being read, the small Mountain View team huddled and gasped as Wellington was revealed as the third-place team and then the group erupted in jubilation when they found out they ended up second.
“We did think it would be a battle,” Mountain View’s Parker Clark said. “I guess I didn’t think it would be that close, so getting to experience that moment was really exciting. With a small team, it’s definitely more rewarding and it feels more like we’re a closer team just because we get to experience all the little joys of being a small team.”
Parker was the lone individual winner for the Mountain Lions. She finished first in the 200 individual medley in a personal-best time of 2 minutes, 19.72 seconds.
Later in the meet, she finished second in the 100 breaststroke in 1:11.34, just off her personal best.
“The 200 IM, that was a personal best for me,” she said. “Going in, I knew I could do it and I was happy just to see it come to fruition. Then, my 100 breaststroke, I was excited to get really close to my PR. It was really exciting to have someone next to me to push me.”
Mountain View also got a pair of second-place finishes from senior Kelsey Lapp in the 100 freestyle (56.68 seconds) and the 100 backstroke (1:02.60) and third-place finishes from Brooklyn Wright in the 200 IM (2:23.14) and the 100 butterfly (1:03,81).
However, Mountain View head coach Wietse Wullink credited the second-place finish to a handful of swimmers who qualified for the finals in their events and then swam even better in the finals to help push the team’s score higher.
Those included Gwyn Kingry in the 100 freestyle and 100 breaststroke; Beatrice Miller in the 200 and 500 freestyles; Lauren Dietz in the 100 freestyle and 100 backstroke; Aimee Gallatin in the 50 freestyle and 100 breaststroke; Maleah Vick in the 100 and 200 freestyle; and Harper Pecosky in the 50 freestyle and 100 backstroke.
The Mountain Lions’ A relay teams finished second in the 200 medley, third in the 200 freestyle and third in the 400 freestyle.
“I think we were battling just to make a name for ourselves,” Lapp said. “We knew coming in that every swim was going to mean something, and then after (Friday) we knew it was going to be a battle for second and it was going to be who wants it more, us or Wellington.”
Mountain View also got a third-place finish from diver Madeline Clark, whose 11-dive score of 433.50 was her highest of the season. She was also named the LPL diver of the year, an honor for a senior voted on by league coaches.
Thompson Valley’s day was highlighted by the team’s two divers, Marabelle Balliet and Brileigh Hale.
Balliet finished second with a personal-best score of 442.72 while Hale was third with a score of 432.15. For Hale, it was not only a personal best, but also the first time she surpassed 400 points.
“My mom asked me on the ride over today, this morning, ‘What’s your goal for today?'” Balliet said. “I was like, I just wanted a new high score. I just wanted to beat myself and do better than what I’ve been doing. I have some stuff to clean up, but I was just proud of what I got from today.”
Next up for the Mountain Lions is the 4A state meet, Thursday and Friday at the Veterans Memorial Aquatic Center in Thornton. The Class 3A state meet for Thompson Valley and Berthoud will be held Friday and Saturday at the VMAC.
Loveland finishes 3rd at Northern League meet
Loveland finished third at the Northern League Championship meet Friday at the Mountain View Aquatic Center.
The Red Wolves finished the meet with 735 points. Fossil Ridge won the meet with 797 points. Rocky Mountain was third with 765.
Loveland finished second in the 400 freestyle relay (3:50.73), fourth in the 200 freestyle relay (1:43.95) and fifth in the 200 medley relay (1:57.65).
The Red Wolves got top-three individual finishes from Brooklyn Miller, who was second in the 100 butterfly (1:02.41); Kate Irby, who was third in the 500 freestyle (5:43.74); and Hadley Rogers, who was third in the 100 backstroke (1:03.38) and the 200 IM (2:23.28).
Loveland will next swim with Mountain View at the 4A state meet next Thursday and Friday in Thornton.
